Kevin Duffy: UConn men's 11 percent grad percentage only part of the story

Updated 11:39 pm, Friday, October 26, 2012

The Chicago State Cougars won four games last season, half of which were in league play. They are a member of the Great West, a conference that you probably didn't know existed. They aren't eligible for an automatic NCAA tournament bid until 2020, not that it matters. Between their incompetence on the court and in the classroom, the Cougars won't be dancing anytime soon.

So what does this have to do with anything?

When the NCAA released the latest graduation success rates (GSR), Chicago State was the only Division I men's basketball team with a lower mark than UConn. The Cougars posted a 9 percent graduation rate; the Huskies checked in at 11.

Oh boy.

Given UConn's well-documented academic struggles -- like Chicago State, UConn is ineligible for the 2013 postseason due to a low academic progress rating -- the poor GSR isn't a surprise. But 11 percent? That's just gruesome.

Before we play the "blame game," let's outline the significance behind this figure: It's the percentage of men's basketball players who enrolled between 2002-05 and graduated within six years. In other words, it's a span of academic negligence finally catching up with the university.

Yes, it's a repulsive number, but it does not impact postseason eligibility. The APR takes care of that, and after two solid years, UConn should be just fine for 2014. The program posted a 978 (out of 1000) in 2010-11, and the athletic department said it expects a similar score for 2011-12. Encouraging, but really, those numbers should be standard in Storrs.

After all, this is not Chicago State; it's UConn, one of the nation's top 20 public institutions. Eleven percent here is beyond unacceptable.

You agree?

Well, there's also a valid counterpoint. The NCAA releases graduation rates; it does not unveil job placement data. And isn't that what college is all about?

Of the 12 remaining players, 10 are still playing professional basketball. That's an 83 percent.

Nationally, only 1.3 percent make the pros, according to the NCAA.

You can even take the NBA guys out of the equation. Look at Ed Nelson, a career reserve and college graduate (he was listed in the school's May 2006 commencement program). Nelson was contacted by Hearst Connecticut for a story last fall, and he reported a six-figure salary in each of his five years playing professionally in Spain and Argentina.

By comparison, students graduating from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences -- the university's largest school -- have a median expected annual income of $30,000-35,000 in their first year, per the UConn office of institutional research.

Those are the facts, the indisputable evidence that says it pays big-time to be a UConn basketball player.

Problem is, it doesn't pay for too long. You can't retire from basketball at 65 years old, and a college degree is often required to work in coaching or administration. That's why the 11 percent is so discouraging.

When those 10 pro basketball players (based on the data, you have to assume the majority do not have college degrees) no longer make a living off the sport, will they wake up one day and go, "What the heck should I do now?" It's quite possible.

Here's one thing they won't say: "Damn that Jim Calhoun. He never made me go to class and now I'm screwed."

It's easy for the general public to trash Calhoun, so it does. He was a constant through a period of academic ignorance (UConn's 844 and 826 APR in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are the root of its postseason eligibility, and will probably lead to a few more hideous graduation scores). There was a lack of control on Calhoun's part, no doubt.

But you can't put this totally on him. At the end of the day, Player X (you can insert many different names) failed to graduate because of Player X.

It's called self-accountability, a pretty simple concept. Calhoun didn't skip class or flunk tests or dismiss the chance to prepare for life after hoops. His players did. You'd think: If you're at college, even if basketball is your top priority, you might want to check out a class or two. Right?

Somehow, there's a bright side to all of this. College is a beautiful place because they'll always let you come back. This past spring, Tony Roberston, a Huskies guard from 1999-2003, returned to campus to complete his degree. Former UConn big man Gavin Edwards did the same. Even Donyell Marshall, a star in the early 90s, earned his degree in 2010. Marshall had already earned millions during a 15-year NBA tenure. Those kind of facts don't show up in the GSR.

So, truthfully, the effects of this outrageous graduation rate won't be known until the ex-Huskies, the guys who enrolled from 2002-05, can no longer play professionally.

For now, 11 percent is just an eye-popping figure, an Internet punchline that further blemishes UConn's reputation.

But, hey, it could be worse, Husky fans. You could be rooting for Chicago State.